Papadopoulos will run 42km over three consecutive days, followed by 30km on day four, 86km on day five, capped off with an easy 8km on day six – that's the equivalent of just under six marathons in the space of a week. We're exhausted just thinking about it.

You might think this is a man who doesn't know limits, but Papadopoulos has a surprisingly simple philosophy for overcoming roadblocks. Check it out in the video above.

The good news is that you don't need to run 250km to learn a thing or two – he's shared his advice for preparing for an endurance race with ninemsn COACH ahead of the first leg of this monster challenge:

One size doesn't always fit all

"Preparation needs to be tailored to each individual depending on their current fitness level, conditioning, existing injuries, schedule, dietary requirements and goal" Papadopoulos says.

He spends the months leading up to an endurance event clocking up kilometres and increasing duration, being careful to prevent injury by working gradually.

You should also try to do some research on the course that you will be running," he adds.

"Is there likely to be hills, rough terrain or sand on the course? If so, try to do some training on those surfaces to get yourself used to them ahead of time… If you are training at the same pace everyday on the same flat surface, you may really struggle when the time comes to take on a 10km, half marathon or marathon distance if the terrain is foreign to you."

Play the weighting game

If you're someone who enjoys the weight room, the good news is that you don’t have to give it up to work on your endurance," Papadopoulos says.

He adds that if your goal is compete in an endurance event you'll need to spend some of your training time running, but that you should also focus on building run-specific strength, focusing on development of the major muscle groups we recruit for running without neglecting smaller but critical muscles, tendons and ligaments.

"For example, you can target the gluteus medius and Achilles with various exercises and equipment, but I find lateral walks using resistant bands are great for glute development, and concentrating on the eccentric (down) phase of the calf-raise using one foot at a time helps to lengthen and strengthen your Achilles."

Eat your heart out

"The types of food that you consume on race day are very important as you don’t want to upset your stomach or have too many fluctuations in your energy levels," Papadopoulos says.

"Knowing what works for you can come down to experience, trial and error or even consulting an expert."

He recommends experimenting with your diet or supplement plan to find out what works for you well ahead of race day to prevent any mid-race upsets, and ensure you're consuming enough calories to fuel you for the duration of the event. A meal rich in protein, carbohydrates and antioxidants will do wonders following a training session, too.

If you're going the whole hog on endurance events, he adds that glucose gels can provide an effective mid-race energy hit, while electrolyte formulas will allow you to rehydrate on the run.

Take time for TLC

"Remember that you need to give back to your body what you take out of it so sleep, massages, appointments with your physio, and nutrition are all very important," Papadopoulos says.

If you're harbouring some aches and pains, he suggests stretching out tight hamstrings on a foam roller or getting a massage can help to keep you in shape, but that you should avoid booking in for a massage on the day before race day.

"You don’t want any imbalances in your muscular system on the day as it can affect the way your legs are tracking, or your posture, making the run uncomfortable for you," he says.

Get your head in the game

"Your mindset will depend on the event you are participating in and its purpose such as whether it's for charity, fun or competitive," Papadopoulos says.

Everyone is different, so during your training phase, identify what matters to you, and why you are doing this endurance race and use that to drive you to the end!"